From Here On In Part 1
by INFJgamer
Summary: While the Quarian Ark is safe and the Kett are largely defeated, Andromeda is by no means finished with the crew of the Tempest. Part Three of the End Game Saga


**Spot the difference**

Kallo and Suvi sat together on the bridge going through the final checks before they could disembark from the Nexus. Kallo was worried about Suvi, for someone who'd just had two weeks leave she looked anything but refreshed. She was rubbing the back of her neck, a telltale sign she had a headache. He noticed that the lights from her console panel were reflected on the sweat that covered her skin, despite the air conditioned environment. "Is everything okay Suvi?"

Suvi shook her head and instantly regretted it "I'm not feeling too grand. I think I'll pop and see Lexi, see if she can give me something for this headache."

Lexi was just finished inputting the last of her notes for her latest essay when the door of the med bay hissed open. She glanced over her shoulder to see Suvi being ushered in by Kallo, she looked dreadful. She was feverish and breaking out in spots before her eyes. Kallo helped her to a bed and Lexi scanned her. "It's Angaran chickenpox, it's been doing the rounds in the colonies. It's very similar to Human chickenpox, you'll feel rough for forty eight hours, but you'll be fine. It's highly contagious so I'll confine you to your quarters, luckily it only affects Angarans and humans."

Ryder tried to listen to Cora's handover, but the pain in her head made it hard to concentrate. She thought the Lieutenant mentioned something about Peebee finding lost Angaran artifacts, but couldn't be sure. She excused herself and lurched off to the galley in search of a cold drink. It didn't help that Ryder had come back to a barrage of messages from Liam Kosta asking when he could rejoin the crew. They'd started off harmless enough.

" _Hey Ryder, Long time no see. We should totally meetup, maybe talk about me coming back to the Tempest. Come see me next time you're on Eos."_

But as time has gone by and she hadn't answered him, they began to take on a darker tone. The last one read.

" _I can't believe how stupid you're being. The crew is in danger. You need crisis response not a biotic psycho bitch with a shotgun! If you can't see sense, I'll take my concerns to someone who will! I'm doing this for your own good."_

Ryder didn't appreciate being threatened or having one of her crew trash talked. Especially when she felt so damn ill. Drack and Vetra were brewing up a vat of tea for the crew while trading stories about what they'd done with their time away from the Tempest. Drack had been playing with his great grandchildren, while Vetra had been caving on Kadara with Sid. Ryder was about to ask after their families when her knees buckled out from under her. Vetra caught her "Drack go get Lexi. Come on Ryder let's get you to your quarters."

While Ryder was appreciative of Vetra helping her to her room, the sensation of the Turian's armour against her was unbearable. Every square inch of her skin felt hot and itchy. Having deposited Ryder on her bed, Vetra instructed her to stay put while they waited for the ship's doctor.

Lexi entered, with Drack and Kallo assisting Suvi. A quick scan of the Pathfinder confirmed that she too had contracted chickenpox. "We'll confine the two of you to your quarters, we can't have both the Pathfinder and her second going down with this."

She turned to Kallo and Drack "I need you to keep an eye on them. They need to rest and I darent leave Ryder unsupervised, Goddess knows what she'll try and get up to."

"You wound me Doctor." Ryder protested half pitifully, half playfully.

"I know you Pathfinder." Smiled Lexi.

Suvi chuckled only to have Lexi turn her attention on her "Kallo, make sure Suvi behaves herself. I don't want to find out she's been biopsying her own spots."

"But science!" Protested the Scot.

"No!" Chorused Lexi, Kallo, Drack and Ryder.

Drack and Kallo went to fetch their charges some tea giving them time to change out of their uniforms into lightweight pyjamas. Vetra headed back onto the Nexus with a shopping list of medical supplies from Lexi. The doctor jabbed the ill couple with a cocktail of meds to ease the discomfort and itching. "Get some rest, I'll check in on you later."

Cora felt a little peaky as she slumped on the sofa in what used to be Liam's room. She could feel her head begin to throb, maybe if she just closed her eyes for a moment? Peebee entered, shattering her peace "Wow! You look worse than Ellis."

The Tempest's resident mercenary was sporting bilateral black eyes and a broken nose from their misadventures with the Asari.

"You're seriously comparing my appearance to someone who got dropped on their face!" Snapped Cora.

The effort and volume of her shouting made her head hurt all the more. She took a slow controlled breath in and released it trying to regain focus. She could feel sweat being wicked away by the fabric of her clothing, though it lingered on her face. She felt dreadful. There were a few things in life that Cora Harper didn't do well at, being ill was one of them. She despised the vulnerability and lack of control over herself. Gil poked his head around the corner "Everything okay ladies?"

One look at Cora told him she was far from okay "I'll go and get Lexi."

The doctor confirmed that like the others, Cora had pox. "We'll keep you in here. I need you to stay away from Gil and Ellis, I don't want anyone else getting sick. Peebee keep an eye on her."

The younger Asari chuckled "Have no fear, Doctor B'Sayle is here!"

Cora rolled her eyes "You're not an actual doctor."

"You're not an actual Asari, but that's never stopped you has it?!" Retorted the maiden.

Lexi ignored them both "SAM, let me know if anymore of the human crew spike a temperature. I'll inform Tann that the Tempest is grounded until further notice."

She left the two women to their own devices to start write up notes and filling out drug charts.

"Gil, what's going on? Why haven't we left yet?" Ellis called down from the balcony outside the bridge.

"Lexi's grounded us. With Ryder and Cora out of action we're not going anywhere. We've got to avoid them in case we get infected. Think of it as an extension to our shore leave. I'm going to head to the Nexus later if you want a game of poker. Loser buys the beers." Beamed Gil.

Peebee tapped away at the datapad, checking in with a certain gunsmith back on Elaaden. It transpired that Kate had already contracted the Angaran chickenpox shortly after her first ever trip to Havarl.

"Could you do that any louder?" Grumbled Cora

"A huntress should be able to endure sustained gunfire and explosions, I'm sure you can cope some light tapping!" Quipped the Asari.

A wicked thought popped into Peebee's mind. It was bad, but she'd never get another chance like this no matter how long she lived, which if Cora caught on wouldn't be long at all "Why don't you use Asari healing techniques to help you get better?"

Cora took the bait "What did you have in mind? Prayer? Meditation?"

"Something a little more out of the box. Don't get me wrong prayer and meditation have their place, but that's for beginners. You, you're more advanced." Said Peebee massaging Cora's ego.

Cora began to ponder "Well Sarissa's manuals-"

Peebee waved her hand in dismissal "Oh screw Sarissa's manuals, I'm talking about techniques only taught in The Cidem. It's not something that's normally shared with humans because they lack the biotic capability, but someone like you or Ellis should be more than capable."

Cora sat forward "Have you ever tried teaching any of it to Ellis?"

"Please, the only Asari thing Ellis wants to study is Lexi." Chuckled Peebee telling the truth.

"The Cidem focuses on combining vocal cords exercises with biotic energy." She hoped Cora would fall for it.

Cora was intrigued, she knew that there were certain codex and manuals that were off limits to the large majority of Asari, nevermind humans. It didn't surprise her in the least that Peebee had probably snuck a peek at them just to say that she'd done it. "I'm not sure."

Peebee teased "Come on Cora. Are you a commando or a commandon't?"

"Fine. What do I need to do?" She said giving into her curiosity.

"I thought we could try focused chanting. It improves biotic flow through the body. I want you to take a deep breath and as you exhale I want you to say the words _Fus Ro Dah."_

Cora did as she was told. Peebee did her best to keep a straight face as the second in command of the Tempest chanted words from a videogame that the Asari had watched Ellis had play. "That's really good. Keep it up! You wanna exhale on the _Fus._ Inhale just before _Ro_. Great now try and hold the _Dah._ That's it. Great go again, this time see if you can hold the _Dah_ a little longer. Keep going remember, you're an unrelenting force."

Peebee secretly recorded Cora's chanting and forwarded the video to Ellis, she could've sworn she heard the laughter emanating from the bridge. Cora was slightly out of breath "You know I was doubtful about this Cidem, but that was really invigorating. Is there anything else you think I should try?"

Peebee tried to hide her delight "Well there is a traditional herbal remedy I could prepare for you. The Cidem says it was given to warrioresses to help them regain their strength after a battle. I could make it for you if you want."

Cora agreed and Peebee headed of to the galley to make the herbal remedy. What the young Asari actually made was a replica of Matriarch B'Sayle's medicinal herbal tea. Peebee had many miserable memories of having to drink it as a child, it smelt like varren piss and probably tasted the same too. Her stomach lurched as she carried it back to Cora, she watched with a mixture of admiration and horror and the woman downed it in one. Cora handed her the empty cup "What's next?"

Frustratingly, Peebee was out of wacky ideas. Instead she suggested something sensible "You've done well, get some rest."

Lexi typed up her notes on the sick crew members. The Initiative would be doing an audit of her notes along with those of any other doctor's that was treating chickenpox patients. By comparing the data it was hoped they could determine the best treatments and management techniques in readiness for future outbreaks. Vetra entered the med bay with Gil unceremoniously slung over her shoulder "I found him trying to sneak down the landing ramp. He says he's fine-"

"I _am_ fine!" Protested Gil from behind her.

"I'll be the judge of that. SAM informed me that you're running a low grade fever. Vetra put him down there please." Lexi gestured to the bed on the right.

"See no spots!" Proclaimed Gil smugly

Lexi rolled her eyes "Vetra please could you give us a moment?"

The Turian nodded and left. Lexi returned her focus to Gil "I'd like you to fully undress."

Gil smirked and hummed an old Earth tune known as _The Stripper._ Once he was down to his boxers, he twirled to show her there were no spots "Tada! Now can I go to the Nexus?"

Lexi sighed "I asked you to fully undress Gil. That includes your underwear."

Gil dropped down his boxers, fighting hard to suppress the urge to scratch the left side his groin. He glanced down to see what was causing the annoyance and there it was, a small cluster of spots "Well shit!"

"You can dress now. I'll give you some meds to help with the symptoms. Try not to scratch. I'll have Vetra keep tabs on you. Try and take it easy and absolutely no sneaking onto the Nexus." Pleaded the Doctor.

Having devoured the soup that Drack had made for the crew's supper, Cora was exhausted. She slowly drifted off to sleep with her head coming to rest on Peebee's arm, trapping the Asari. Peebee started weight up the pros and cons of chewing off her own arm in order to escape. In the end she decided to stay put, tapping away messages to Elaaden until the small hours.

Suvi wanted to snuggled into Ryder's back, but she was too hot and itchy. She let her hand run over the contours of her wife's back as a gesture to let her know she would if she could. Suvi felt the knotted muscles beneath Sara's top "What's going on?"

Ryder sighed and showed Suvi the plethora of messages from Liam. She watched as the anger grew in Suvi till she snapped "What the hell does he think he's playing at? It's not your fault he can't take an order. How dare he call you stupid and threaten you! Don't get me started on the things he said about Ellis! And then to cap it all he's got the audacity to make out that he's doing this all for you! You can't let him come back on the Tempest, especially if he's going to pull stunts like this."

Ryder frowned "Apparently he's gone to Tann with this. He's serious about getting back on this ship. We might have a fight on our hands."

Lexi was exhausted the hefty climb to the bridge was too much for her aching legs. She knew Ellis would understand if they didn't see each other. She flopped into her bunk in the crew's quarters and soon fell asleep. All too quickly her alarm chimed, it was time for morning rounds. Her first stop was the Pathfinder's quarters where she interrupted a literal mutual back scratching session between Ryder and Suvi. It was neither sexual or sensual but it was an act of love that brought about nigh on orgasmic relief. The couple looked shamefaced as Lexi lectured them on the risks of scarring and infection. She gave the pair their next doses of medication and told Drack he had her permission to sit on them if he caught them scratching again.

Next on her list was Gil. The engineer was keeping himself busy teaching Vetra how to play rummy. Lexi noted the gloves that had been gaffer taped to his wrists to stop him scratching. She wondered which of the two had come up with the idea. Her money was on Vetra.

Her final visit for the morning was Cora. The commando was still sleeping. Peebee had tried and failed miserably to escape her clutches and was begrudgingly being the little spoon. Lexi chuckled at the sight. Peebee glared at her and hissed "Help a girl out?"

Lexi gently disentangled the Asari from Cora arms, allowing her to stretch out "Can we never speak of this again?"

Lexi chuckled "What like that time on Voeld when you called me Mommy?"

Peebee flushed and scarpered of in the direction of the galley. Lexi gently woke Cora and gave her the next doses of medication. Having done everything she could for her patients, Lexi headed up to the bridge for some downtime with Ellis. She hadn't seen them since they'd gotten back on the ship. She headed into the armoury the mercenary called home protesting "It's not even been a full day and most of the human crew are unfit for duty."

Ellis was curled up in a ball on the bed covered in spots. "Make that all the humans."

She wondered why SAM hadn't alerted her to Ellis's plight, but then she noticed empty syringes of analgesia, antipyretics and antihistamine next to them. The merc had been managing their symptoms by themselves. Part of Lexi wanted to chide them for not letting her know they were sick, the other wanted to congratulate them on their effective self care. "You should have let me know."

A faint grin touched the mercenary's face "Why, would you have managed my symptoms any differently? You were busy with the others. Tactically Ryder, Cora, Suvi and Gil take priority over me, I'm nonessential crew."

From the perspective of cold clinical rationale Ellis was absolutely right. Lexi laid down next to them with a frustrated sigh "Don't do it again. Yes you're right technically you aren't a key priority, but you _still_ matter. Especially to me."

Ellis pressed their forehead against hers savouring the coolness and the closeness "Sorry Lex."

With all the human crew infected, the quarantine was lifted and the crew were free to move about the ship as they pleased. Suvi sat in the galley with Ellis, the mercenary read aloud with assistance from the Scot while Drack half listened as he cooked up a roast for the crew. He figured it would be just the thing to boost morale. The two humans laughed when Peebee was thwacked by a spoon for trying to steal what she called "Quality control samples" from the stove.

Gil continued to teach Prospero and Vetra to play rummy, though Gil started getting frustrated when Prospero kept beating him. Meanwhile Cora had developed a taste for the herbal remedy that Peebee had given her. The young Asari was now tasked with teaching her how to make it. Peebee did her best not to vomit as Cora brewed up a huge mug of the stuff.

Ryder but the bullet and arranged a vid conference with Tann about Liam's request to rejoin the Tempest. Luckily it had gone far better than Ryder had anticipated. Tann said he would support whatever Ryder wanted to do. The Director had no concerns about Ellis having heard from Kandros how the merc was instrumental in bringing down a smuggling ring, and had helped return several lost ancient artifacts to the Angaran people. Tann however did ask that Ryder meet with Liam in person to inform him of her decision. As soon as the crew were well enough, they were going to Eos.

Lexi wandered by the kitchen and noticed a foul yet familiar scent hanging in the air. It brought back childhood memories of her pinching her nose as she glugged back the hideous mixture. Little Lexi couldn't decide what was worse, being ill, or being made to drink the hideous herbal tea. "Cora why are you drinking that stuff? It smells vile."

"It's a recipe from The Cidem, something to help regain strength." Chirped Cora.

Lexi frowned "Hardly, it's an old Asari herbal tea recipe. My Mum used to make it for me when I got as a child. I hated the stuff. Don't drink too much of that it has a laxative effect on humans."

Cora felt her abdomen churn, as she darted to the toilet she screamed "Peebee so help me Goddess I am going to flay you with my mind!"

 **For your own good**

When the Tempest finally left the Nexus, it had gained an extra passenger. Dr Harry Carlyle was hitching a lift to Eos. He and Lexi were less than pleased. The two had been temporality seconded to help out on the medical unit on Eos. Harry's trauma competencies needed to be updated, while Lexi's obstetric skills had to be rechecked. "It's absurd. The majority of the crew are still on blockers. I fail to see how any of this is relevant to my current job!" Grumbled the Asari.

Harry handed her a mug of coffee "We'll get through it Lexi, we always do. So, on a lighter note, what are your going to spend your relic hunting rewards on?"

Ryder felt glum as she addressed her crew mate "Ellis I need to give you some really crappy orders. There's a chance that Liam is going to come looking for you and I think he's going to want a fight. Don't respond to him verbally and don't hit him first. If he should hit out at you, take him down quick and clean, no lethal force. Do you understand?"

Ellis understood perfectly "Yes Pathfinder, do nothing unless physically attacked, in which case non lethal techniques only. If I answer back, I'll be seen as no better than him. If I throw the first punch I give weight to his argument that I'm a liability."

Ryder sighed "I'm sorry, I hate having to ask you to do this. You've earned your place on this ship several times over. Once Lexi has finished her secondment and we've dealt with Liam, we'll be going to Elaaden. I'll buy you a few beers when we get there."

The Pathfinder was going to say more, but was distracted by shouting coming from the galley. She and Ellis sprinted out of her room to see what was going on.

"How was I supposed to know it would irritate the shit out of you as much as I do?" yelped Peebee as she tried to break free from the submission hold that Cora had put her in.

"You just don't think about anyone but yourself do you?" snarled Cora who was still bitter about her gastric upset at the hands of the Asari maiden.

Ellis prised the two apart and stood between them. Ryder rubbed her temples "Pack it in! That's an order! Peebee, you took things too far with Cora. Cora you know full well that interspecies food can have side effects on humans. We all saw what happened when I over did it with the Angaran souffles. As I recall it was you two that had to carry me to Lexi as I puked my guts up."

Ryder paused, waiting for the memory to take effect. Peebee started first, her infectious laughter overpowering Cora's wrath. The battle hardened commando had to smirk as she recalled Ryder's predicament. "Look, we need to present a united front right now. I don't want to give Liam any ammunition he can use to try and force his way back on this ship. We're at full crew capacity which means he's going to try and get someone kicked off. We've got a good team here, I don't want to loose any of you."

The first few days on Eos were uneventful. Cora took Ellis and Peebee to thin out some of the local wildlife that were trying to encroach on the settlements. Ryder hoped that the two working on the same squad would give them a chance to see some of each other's more positive qualities. Meanwhile, the Pathfinder, Vetra and Jaal gathered mineral resources needed to fill requisitions. Drack volunteered to stay behind to guard the Tempest and ensure everyone had a good meal to come home to. Truth be told these days Drack gained more pleasure from cooking that he did fighting. Cooking didn't bruise and batter him. The most physical exertion was wrenching Peebee away from what he was cooking before it was ready to be served.

On the fourth day, Liam arrived at the medical unit, ready to win back his place on the Tempest. Harry was the first to see him, the doctor's joints protested as he jogged up the corridor to respond to an emergency bell, luckily it was only a faint as opposed to anything more serious, but Harry's knees hated him all the same. Liam geared himself up to deliver his trademark impassioned plea. If he could convince Auggie and the colonists to take up arms, how hard could it be to persuade one Asari doctor. He'd spin it as though he was doing her a favour. He'd convince her that with him back on the squad Ryder would be safer and she'd have less work to do. "Lexi, good to see they're giving you a break. You must be flat out on the Tempest. I heard Ryder's lucky to be alive after what went down on the Company's base. You know that would never happened on my watch. I can't understand why she recruited the Company's biotic thug. You must be worried sick with that liability on board."

Lexi bit back the urge to lash out at him knowing it wouldn't help anyone. Instead she was the epitome of professionalism "This is a clinic Liam, unless you're here with an actual medical complaint, then I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Liam was disappointed that the Doctor wasn't more receptive to his concerns. He decided to change his tack, he placed his hands on her shoulders "Lexi, is is me you're talking to, you can be honest. I know you'd do everything in your power to keep the crew safe. You swore an oath that you would, don't fail them now by now by not raising your concerns about Ryder's pet psycho."

Lexi ignored the anger bubbling away within "I don't believe Ellis poses a threat."

Liam was unable to hide his dissatisfaction, he was sure he'd be able to get her on side "I'm disappointed in you Lexi. You're a doctor, you're supposed to keep people safe. It's your duty! You've let yourself become blindsided. Clearly it falls to me to save Ryder and the crew from the danger this-"

He felt himself being dragged by biotic energy forcing him away from the Doctor, the source was a heavily pregnant woman stood behind him. Her facial expression fell somewhere between exhausted, pained and murderous. Realising he'd been bested he left disappointed. It was time for a last ditch effort; confronting Ellis. Lexi desperately wanted to warn them of the coming threat, but her patient needed her more at that moment.

The last of the dead Adhi were brought to the one of the merchants who would harvest leather from their hides and make jerky from their meat. Ellis put in an order for some jerky, while Cora asked for a new leather jacket. Peebee saw Liam approach "We've got company."

He made a beeline for the mercenary "I want a word with you! Several!"

The mercenary stood at ease and met his gaze with a neutral expression.

"You think you're so clever with your souped up biotics. You might have fooled the Pathfinder, but you can't fool me! I know you're working for the Company. I bet you staged that whole thing on Elaaden to get her to trust you!" Liam stood so close that globules of saliva sprayed onto the mercenary's face.

Nothing. Ellis held his gaze, unflinching and unresponsive. It would be so easy to kill him, to wipe that smug grin off of his face permanently. Ellis began to look around for something to distract them from Liam's ranting. Out of the corner of their eye, Ellis saw Peebee bouncing up and down, tapping the side of her head mouthing the words " _Synch with me_."

"It's your fault your brother and sister are dead! Their blood is on your hands!" He sneered and waited for the mercenary to explode.

Ellis had tuned into Peebee's biotic signature and a steady stream of memories trickled through. It started with their first ever meeting back on Elaaden, then moved onto the first time Ellis had put Peebee into biotic suspension. The memories chronicled their developing friendship, showing how Peebee had learnt to trust, value and care for them as a friend. Ellis experienced the genuine joy that Peebee had felt when they had finally gotten it together with Lexi. Liam continued his tirade of abuse, but Ellis was deaf to every single word of it, happily lost in warm memories of how a friendship had been forged. When Liam pushed Ellis in a bid to provoke a fight, Peebee countered with the memory of her, Lexi, and Cora putting them in suspension and letting them cannonball into the ocean on Meridian. The mercenary smiled as they relived adventures, parties and playing video games into the small hours. Liam grew impatient of waiting for his prey to crack. He pulled his sidearm, hoping muscle memory and instinct would kick in and condemn the mercenary. The pistol warped in his hand as Lexi snarled "Enough!"

Liam turned to see the seething Asari advance towards him with rage in her eyes. It clicked that the doctor had feelings for Ellis. It made sense, she had a thing for trouble makers with shotguns, though this one was decidedly younger than her last crush. Before Liam could formulate a barbed response, he felt a gun against his temple, a militia member announced "Liam Kosta you're under arrest for breaching the peace and threatening someone with a loaded firearm."

Liam was marched away as his rights were read to him. His final attempt to get back on the Tempest was dashed to pieces. Peebee and Ellis dropped out of synchronization with a collective "What did we miss?"

"Liam being a dick and it backfiring on him." Cora didn't care to elaborate any further. Repeating Liam's words wouldn't help anyone. It was done, time to move on.

Lexi was aware of the adrenaline that coursed through her. Normally when the rush came there was a life to save, surgery to perform. But thanks to the militia, she was all fired up with no place to go. She took Ellis by the hand "Tempest now."

She led them into what used to be Liam's room and pushed them down onto the couch. Ellis watched spellbound as Lexi removed her gloves and top. She sat astride them, her hands pulling up Ellis's t-shirt "It won't be that same as punching him in the face, but how do you feel about desecrating his couch?"

Ryder and her squad returned with a Nomad full of raw material that would eventually be processed into buildings, furniture and whatever else the Initiative needed. Cora filled them in on what had happened. Ryder begrudgingly headed off to speak to Liam to was time to finish this for once and for all. Liam sat handcuffed in a holding cell awaiting transfer to the Nexus. On seeing the Pathfinder enter, he sprang to his feet "Sara! I knew you'd come. I knew you'd see sense. Let's get back to it shall we? You and me against the galaxy."

Ryder psyched herself up to deliver the news. The sooner it was done, the sooner people could start picking up the pieces and begin to move on "Liam, you're not coming back to the Tempest. I can't trust you to follow orders. I can't trust you to respect the crew. I can't trust you full stop. We're done Liam."

He protested but Ryder turned on her heel and the the building. She wondered how things had gotten so fucked up between them. How someone she'd once trusted had let her down so badly. The questions repeated themselves over and over as she made her way back to the Tempest.

Ellis wore nothing but a smug contented grin as they lay full stretch on the couch. Lexi was draped over them, her fingers absentmindedly mapping out the angle of Louis and the intercostal spaces on the mercenary's chest. Ellis placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and stated the obvious "I love you Lex."

She already knew. The warm, fuzzy tingling from their meld still lingered, though she now knew where Ellis ended and she began. They'd only done memory melds before, but Lexi had felt ready to move forward. In the moment of connection Lexi had know all of Ellis, their thoughts, hopes, fears, but above all their love for her. The doctor's own feelings had been laid bare, making it her turn to state the obvious "I love you too."

Ryder felt drained as she returned to the Tempest. Luckily Drack had saved her an extra large helping of sticky toffee pudding to comfort her. "I know it wasn't easy kid, but you did the right thing. He was a loose cannon. He'd probably get himself or one of us killed."

Peebee was on her third helping of pudding, Lexi and Ellis had given her theirs as a thank you for helping the merc cope with Liam "Ryder, I've got an idea for Liam's room. I think we should clear it out and let Lexi have it. Out of all of us, she's the only one that doesn't actually have an official home off of the Tempest. I know she finds it hard to write her essays over Gil's snoring and Cora talking in her sleep. With the amount we put her through, it'd be nice if she had a place that was her own."

As if on cue, the doctor walked in making her way towards the coffee machine. She regarded the Pathfinder who's face spoke volumes, the fatigue and concern were all too evident. She made two cups of coffee and placed one in Ryder's hands "Come to the med bay."

Ryder followed her and began to vent as soon as the doors closed behind them. She ranted about Liam and how betrayed she felt that he'd continued to defy her, to be reckless and above all she hated the way he'd tried to manipulate her. "I don't want this to to damage the relationship I have with the crew, but I feel like something needs to happen to clear the air."

Lexi nodded "An informal debriefing and a touch base. It will give you a chance to reestablish your bond with the crew and find out where they are now. None of us are quite the same people that were thawed out of cryo when we first came here. Both Drack and Gil had become more family centred. Vetra has a successful business. You and Suvi have each other."

Ryder smiled "What about you Lexi? Do you still want to be here? Are you happy?"

"Take us to Elaaden, buy me a drink and I'll tell you all about it?" She replied.

"You've got yourself a deal Doctor, but why Elaaden?" enquired the Pathfinder.

A broad smile worked its way across Lexi's face "You don't know? Your puppy is there. You're finally going to meet Rabbit!"

 **Chemical bonds**

Kallo and Peebee started their day floating in biotic suspension. While Peebee's leg had fully healed from being shot at the Company base, she still did her exercises and stretches. It woke her up more than caffeine ever did, and Kallo's huge smile was the icing on the cake. The Salarian loved the freedom of floating accompanied by the soft tingle of biotic energy that enveloped him. The two were lowered back down to the deck by Ellis as Ryder and Suvi walked onto the bridge. The Pathfinder smiled "Lexi and Harry are back on board. Time to take us to Elaaden Kallo."

The pilot excitedly punched in the co-ordinates as Suvi took her seat to the left of him. Ryder's voice came over the comms channel "Okay there are several purposes to our trip. I'd like to catch up with each of you while we're here. A lots has changed since we came to Andromeda and I want to know where each of you are right now. Meetings will take place at the bar. Drack you're up first."

The Krogan navigated the bar, making his way to the table where the Pathfinder sat. Drack sighed, this wasn't going to be easy "I'm not going to lie to you kid, it's getting harder to keep up with you out there. Either everyone is getting faster, or I'm slowing down. I don't want off the ship, but I can't be on the frontline anymore. No one's gonna die trying to save my ass 'cos i wasn't up to the job anymore. You've done right by the Krogan, Ryder and I want to do right by you. If you want a cook, or someone to tell you war stories, I'm still good for all of that."

Ryder was relieved, she was worried that Drack would want to leave. He had become the closest thing she had to a father figure in Andromeda. "I know that can't have been easy for you to admit. I'm glad you want to stay with us, the Tempest wouldn't be the same without you."

"Just make sure I still get to visit Elaaden and the Nexus so I can see my family and we're good." He hugged Ryder so tightly, her armour groaned in protest of the pressure that he exerted.

Next up was the ship's youngest Asari. "Relax Ryder, I'm not going anywhere. I'm having far too much fun where I am. Don't get me wrong, I would like to make my doctorate an official one, but I can study for some of that while I work with you. Face it, you're kind of an expert at controlling Rem tech, I'm probably going to have to write a thesis on you at some point."

The two laughed at the thought as they steadily drained their glasses. Peebee's tone became more serious "You're right though, I'm not the same person I was when I got to Andromda. I finally learnt to let people in and care about them. I know I can't still be a little, well _me_ , but..."

Ryder smiled "I wouldn't have you any other way, it'd be far too boring."

It was true, Peebee could still be a handful, but she had several established several healthy friendships aboard the Tempest. She got on well with Ryder and Suvi, but was closer to Vetra and Ellis. Peebee had even managed to endear herself to Lexi. The wild child was starting to grow up, a little. There was something else Ryder wanted to ask "So rumour has it you're seeing a gunsmith here on Elaaden."

Peebee flushed a little "Um yeah, Kate. It's early days, but I really like her. And she makes really good guns. Even Ellis switched to a Harlow special."

 _Kate Harlow._ A bell clanged loudly at the back of Sara's mind, echoing through her thoughts. It couldn't be the same Kate, could it? She dismissed the thought and moved on to something Lexi had suggested "I know that Cora and you see things differently, but the two of you make a good team. I'd like you to go and see Lexi, she's got a plan."

Ryder was worried that talking to Cora was going to be a little awkward. The commando had briefly dated her brother, but it hadn't worked out. While the physical attraction had been there, nothing else had developed causing the pair to call time on their relationship. Peebee had quipped the Scott wasn't Asari enough for her. The blonde sat in front of Ryder looking a little despondent "Look Ryder, I know things didn't work out between me and Scott, but I'm still capable of being your second for now."

Ryder frowned "I never doubted it, but what do you mean _for now_?"

Cora shrugged "I feel like nothing has changed for me. There's been no progression. I don't quite know what it is that I'm looking for, but I need you to let me go and pursue it when I find it."

Ryder agreed "I promise. Now, I need you to do something for me. Go and see Lexi, she's got a team building activity for you to do with Peebee."

The commando frowned, but did as she was asked. Lexi stood by the fighting spit with a poe faced Peebee and a smirking Ellis. "Thank you for agreeing to this Cora. I'd like you and Peebee to work as a team in the pit. Ellis will be joining you as backup if the two of you should become overwhelmed."

" _And to stop you from trying to kill each other."_ The doctor thought to herself.

A small crowd gathered to watch the Pathfinder's team take on the challenges of the pit, including most of the crew. Peebee and Cora easily took down the two waves of Adhi that were sent to challenge them. The rylkor, the challyrion, even the small fiend fell prey to the duo's biotics and bullets.

Lexi called down "Now I'd like you to put down your guns. You won't be needing them for your last challenge. No biotics either. You've handled simplistic animals very well, but now I'd like you to take on an opponent that is capable of tactical thought. You'll have to really work together to stop them. Over to you Ellis."

Ellis discarded their guns and khaki duster to reveal armoured cargos and a Kevlar reinforced compression t-shirt. The smile faded from their face. Friend Ellis, crewmate Ellis was gone, a hellraiser walked in their skin. Cora had always wanted to test her skills against the merc, she wondered how their training would fair against her honed commando skills. She suspected they lacked the discipline and focus to stop her in unarmed combat. She whispered to Peebee "Let me take the lead, only step in if Ellis starts fighting dirty."

Peebee tried to protest. She'd seen Ellis fight and suspected that Cora had underestimated what they were capable of. In her head Cora recited her mantra _Breathe, purpose, action._ She fainted a left jab, then swung hard with her right targeting the merc's jaw. Both moves were blocked and Cora found herself in a painful arm lock. Ellis released her and she led with a combo of jabs followed by a roundhouse to the head. Being the shorter of the two combatants, Ellis ducked to avoid the kick then delivered a blow to the back of Cora's legs dropping her to her knees.

Peebee had never been one for unarmed combat. One of her older siblings had been rather formidable, she'd watched fights and stood in awe at violent grace of the older Asari. She remembered their play fights together and instinctively threw herself on to Ellis' back and covered their eyes. The merc smiled in spite of themselves as Peebee clung to them like a koala, they could easily have throw her off, but they were curious as to what Cora would do with the perceived advantage.

Ellis heard the sound of Cora's feet on the gravel. With her location betrayed, Ellis turned so that Peebee bore the brunt of the commando's attack.

"Owww! Fuck you kick hard!" Yelped Peebee as the boot that had been destined for Ellis' gut connected with her ass.

She slipped off of Ellis' back and began to rub her already bruising buttocks "Urgh! Hurt the pink thing, not the blue thing! How hard can it be?"

Sensing the anger rising between the two Lexi called down to them to call it a day.

Cora headed to the bar and ordered a shot of brandy. She chided herself "How the hell did I get beaten by a dumb merc?"

An unfamiliar voice spoke up "I think you're doing both parties a disservice. You're friend isn't dumb nor your garden variety of mercenary. They had an advantage being shorter than you and played it to their advantage. You're fighting technique is straight out of a textbook or a dojo. Every attack you used was a kata, your opponent studied the same books so your attacks were predictable and defensible."

The stranger observed Cora reach for her glass and added "If you're going to throw a drink at me, for the love of the Goddess don't make it a brandy! I fucking hate the stuff!"

Cora put down the glass "I really am that predictable aren't I?"

He smiled and took the vacant seat next to her "Your friend's fighting style is more fluid and tailored to their body. A liquid to your solid as it were."

Seeing Cora's puzzled expression, he ordered a bowl of olives and some martinis. He ate one of the olives, then placed another in an empty glass "The olive is solid, inflexible and unable to adapt to its environment. Whereas the alcohol…"

He decanted the drink into the glass containing the olive. It behaved as you'd expect a liquid to, it flowed, adapting to the shape of the glass, effortlessly enveloping the olive and drowning it. "Do you see what I'm saying? A good fighter's style is one that flows and adapts to meet the environment it's in. Your friends not just liquid, they're an ocean. Right now they're calm, but there's always an undercurrent ready to deal with threats. Given the right situation they can become a tsunami."

Cora sighed "And I was the boat being tossed around on the waves. Okay then, how do I go from being a solid fighter to a liquid one?"

A smile crossed his features "That's simple; melt."

With that he got up and made to leave, Cora called after him "Hey aren't you going to drink these martinis?"

"No, you have them, I'm more of a mojito kind of guy. Buy me one next time we meet?" He grinned, turned and left.

Cora sipped at the martinis and got lost in the list of questions that now filled her head, namely how could she melt and who in the name of the Goddess was that? Peebee walked awkwardly towards the bar, she'd declined getting patched up by Lexi in favour of a stiff drink at the expense of Ellis. The mercenary was fond of her and felt guilty that they'd used her as a shield against Cora's attack. "Two beers please mate."

"Make that three and I'll get them." Piped up Suvi. She'd taken fifty credits off of Gil by betting that Ellis would beat Cora in the fight. The engineer's jaw had dropped when the mercenary had put the commando on her knees.

Peebee clunked her bottle against her friends "To Cora Harper, the metaphorical and literal pain in my ass."

Ryder resumed talking with the crew. Next up was Gil who was still smarting over his lost bet with Suvi "Remind me never to bet against your wife. Right, shall we do this?"

He beckoned over Prospero "The thing is Ryder, I'd like to do a job share with Prospero. He's more than capable of keeping the Tempest going and he gets on better with Kallo. I always said I wanted to be a proper Dad to Meredith, I can't do that if I'm away on the Tempest all the time. While I'm on Eos, I can work on my designs for enhanced shuttlecraft engines. I love being on the Tempest Ryder, but I love my daughter more."

Ryder looked at Prospero, his body work was now white and blue "Are you okay with this."

The Geth chirped "Affirmative Ryder. I am ready to serve. Kallo experiences 27% less stress when working with me. I don't require sustenance or sleep which make me effective than Gil by-"

The engineer spoke over him "Okay Prospero, she gets the idea. So, what d'ya say?"

Ryder had been worried that Gil would leave outright, so this was a pleasant surprise "Well if you're both happy, so am I."

Lexi approached the Pathfinder and gave her a recovery shot to sober her up, there were still another six crewmates to talk to. Ryder looked at the doctor "Okay Lexi, who's next?"

 **Touching base**

Vetra passed Ryder a beer "Okay here's where I'm at. I've got a home on Kadara and I own one of the most successful shops on Elaaden. Life's good Ryder and I owe a lot of that to you. Sid and I have a real chance at a future here. There is one thing, scuttlebut has it that Cora is thinking of leaving us further down the road. If she does go, I'd like to put myself forward as your new second. Just putting it out there. I don't expect it to be handed to me on a plate, I want to prove I'm worthy."

In Ryder's mind there was nothing to prove, Vetra had demonstrated time and time again that she was both a capable team player as well as a solo operative. She pondered how the others would respond to her being in command. Perhaps letting her runs some missions would be a good place to start. "Okay Vetra, I'll keep it in mind. Maybe you could take the lead on a job, show me what you've got?"

"I won't let you down Ryder. Cheers" Beamed the Turian clunking bottles with the Pathfinder.

Next up was Jaal. He hugged Ryder warmly, the embrace told her everything she needed to know. Jaal was a loyal and trusted member of her crew, come hell or high water she could count on him. "I do not believe our adventures together are over yet my friend. I do have a suggestion though. I would like the crew to come and stay with me on Voeld when we celebrate the Angaran new year. It will be as you humans say _cosy_ , but I think it would do us all good to share in something wondrous."

Voeld boasted the most spectacular Northern lights in the whole of Heleus. The night sky filled with hues of green, blue and purple. The Angaran new year was held on the shortest day of the year so the lights were visible for hours on end. Ryder buried herself in his shoulder "Suvi and I would love to. I'm sure I can convince the others. I'm glad our adventures aren't done yet."

Jaal chuckled "You realise one day I'm going to write about our time together? I think I'll call it the _Jaal and Ryder Adventures,_ I'm sure it will be popular with Angaran and human children alike."

The idea of being a character in a children's book made Ryder smirk. She wondered how Jaal would explain away some of their antics in a way that would be child friendly.

Kallo perched on the the chair, mineral water in hand. Kallo wasn't much of a drinker, he disliked the way it clouded his memories. Thanks to Ryder and Suvi he had so many good ones since he'd come to Andromeda. "I've always thought of the Tempest as my ship, but it's become my home. You know I think of you and Suvi as, well as family. I don't think you can go through everything we have together and not form some sort of bond. Having Prospero on the team helps, he's a good go between for Gil and I. I'm looking forward to the chance to work more closely with him in the future. It's nice to have someone with a memory that can rival my own."

Ryder and Suvi often thought of Kallo as being the heart of the Tempest. He'd been there since the ship's conception and traveled to another galaxy to fly her. Suvi had gone so far as to say that the day he left, she'd throw in the towel. Ryder had realised that there wasn't anyone else that could actually pilot the Tempest, without Kallo they were screwed. "I know I don't say this anywhere near enough Kallo, but thank you for everything that you do for us."

The Salarian smiled kindly "To quote a friend and colleague, it's a pleasure and a privilege."

It was now the turn of the ship's doctor. Lexi took a seat beside the Pathfinder "I'll start off by reassuring you that I'm not going anywhere. I know at the start I was apprehensive about being on the Tempest, but now, I wouldn't want to do anything else. You know how much I hated it when I had to do those shifts on Eos. Just maybe cut back on the almost dying on me."

Ryder's mind drifted back to what Cora had said about a lack of progression. "What about the future Lexi?"

Lexi gestured to her datapad "Well, I'm still studing Angan medicine. It's going to take me another couple of years to finish my degree. Also there's a thing or two I could learn from you."

Ryder almost choked on her drink "Sorry? What?"

Lexi continued "You've always been good at separating being the Pathfinder and being a partner. I still need to work on separating being a doctor from being a friend, or something more. I need to learn to find time as opposed to excuses for the people that matter."

Ryder chuckled "I think you're doing a pretty good job so far. I never thought I'd see the day when you went off collecting artifacts with Peebee, but you did. Actually, she thinks that you should have Liam's old room. I'm happy to sign off on it if you want it."

Lexi flushed slightly "Thanks Ryder, I'd like that. And remind me to buy Peebee a drink sometime."

Ellis was the newest recruit to the team. They had now become Liam's official replacement and a permanent member of the Tempest's crew. "I guess a thank you is in order. The Tempest was the first place that's ever felt like a home. Things prior to getting here were kinda shit. You and the crew were some of the first people to treat me like I was actually a person as opposed to a weapon with a pulse."

The pair glanced over at Suvi, Peebee and Lexi. The doctor was getting a round in, Ellis regarded her with the same goofy expression that Ryder did when she looked at Suvi. "I'm good here Ryder and I'll stick around as long as I'm welcome."

"Happy to have you aboard Ellis." Smiled Ryder.

Suvi sat opposite the Pathfinder "Is this absolutely necessary love?"

Ryder shrugged "I have to be seen to be treating everyone equally, so yes."

"Well, I'd like if you stopped getting yourself killed or half killed on a regular basis." She was only half teasing her wife.

"Oh come on, it's been a couple of months since the last time I did that." Protested Ryder.

Suvi took her wife's hands and looked her in the eyes "What about you Sara? What do you want?"

For the first time since she'd gotten married, Ryder actually though about the future. When she'd first arrived in Andromeda, she just leapt from mission to mission. Reactivating vaults, stopping the Archon, destroying the Reaper, saving her Mom and finally putting a stop to the Benefactor. But what now? The other Pathfinders were engaged in ear marking resources and helping to establish home worlds. The Geth were helping to terraform planets without vaults. "As a Pathfinder, I guess it'd be nice to take it easy for a while. I'm not sure if that's ever going to happen. At the moment, it feels like we're doing okay, but I'm scared that any moment it could all come crashing around us and I'll be expected to sort everything out again. But, if you're asking me what I want as your wife, I want to go and meet Rabbit."

Vetra had acquired the puppy from a dubious trader. Vetra suspected that he wasn't taking care of the animals that he was selling so she had bought all three of them from him before reporting him to Kandros. The space hamster had gone to live with Sid on the Nexus, whilst the cat had taken up residence with Kate at the shop. The yet to be named ginger tomcat now spent his days snoozing on the gunsmith's workbench. Finally there had been the puppy. It was very small and very cute, she found herself petting its soft, smooth brown fur in spite of herself. She was too tall to walk the dog on his lead, meaning that she had to carry him. His wagging tail rhythmically beat against her armour as she took him to meet his human parents. Lexi met her outside "Mind if I give him a quick scan?"

The omnitool checked the dog for any unwanted guests and gathered data on its general condition. Lexi's brow furrowed "I thought you said you this was a labrador puppy."

Vetra shifted awkwardly "Well that's what I was told it was. I don't really know much about dogs."

Lexi frowned "According to the scan, that's not a labrador puppy. What you've actually got a two year old miniature dachshund."

Vetra felt a panic sweeping over her "Oh fuck! You don't think there a chance that she might not notice?"

Before Vetra could formulate any sort of plan, the front door to Suvi and Ryder's apartment opened and the science officer bounded out to meet Rabbit. Vetra frantically tried to explain what had happened only for Suvi to say "It's fine. My favourite breed is a rescue anyway. These guys or prone to bad backs and can be a bit harder to train but we'll manage."

"If you can handle the Pathfinder, I'm sure you can handle him." Chuckled Lexi

Ryder feigned being insulted "You're comparing me to a dog? Hmm, Ryder sit. Ryder play dead… Oh I get it, shutting up now."

Rabbit wagged his tail contentedly as Suvi held him "Hello there little fella."

Ryder frowned as her omnitool chirped. It was a message from Kandros requesting her help. The mastermind behind the Angaran relic thefts was still at large and he wanted Ryder's help to chase up the latest lead. She wanted to bond with her new dog, not play detective for Kandros. Then it hit her, this would be a perfect opportunity for Vetra to try out her leadership skills. "Hey Vetra, if you're game, Kandros has a spot of detective work that needs doing."

"Oh I'm game." Vetra beamed.

"Get Cora and choose two others. Kandros will be waiting to brief you on the Nexus. Good luck." she added "Not that I think you'll need it."

The Pathfinder smiled as the Turian sprinted off to track down her team, then turned her attention to Rabbit "Hey boy, you ready for a walk?"

Peebee gingerly walked into Kate's workshop. The gunsmith put down her tools as soon as she saw her waddle in "Are you okay? What happened."

The Asari tried to sit down then thought better of it. She regretted not taking up Lexi on the offer of getting patched up "A commando literally kicked my ass."

Kate kissed her on the forehead and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman "That sounds painful. You need me to get anything for you?"

"A teammate that can differentiate between an Asari ass and a human one?" Peebee snuggled into the human's arms "Otherwise, this is kinda nice."

Peebee felt something butt against her leg, looking down she saw the cat "Oh hello. Who are you?"

"Uh, he doesn't have a name yet. I'm used to naming guns, not living things." Sighed Kate

"Ooh, can I do it? I'm great with names. Pets, bots, Ellis. Okay I was drunk at the time and read the serial number on their armour upside down, but hey it stuck." Peebee reached down and petted him "You can be Jonesy."

Kate stooped down to rub the cat's exposed belly, only once though. She'd learned the hard way that anything more than once put her at risk of having her hands flayed "Cute name. Where's it from?"

"Oh some old Earth horror vid from the late Twentieth century." Peebee replied.

There was a knock at the door, the pair turned to see Vetra, Cora and Ellis stood there. The mercenary grinned "Told you we'd find her here."

"Come on Peebee, we've got a lead on the Angaran artifacts thefts." Vetra continued "I need an expert like you to help crack this case."

Cora groaned, the last thing she wanted was to deal with a big headed Peebee. Unfortunately Vetra had a point, when it came to Rem tech and Angaran artifacts the Asari knew her stuff. The commando sighed and trudged off in the direction of the port. It was going to be a long flight to the Nexus.

 **Be water my friend**

The shuttle to the Nexus was crammed and noisy. Peebee was lost in her data pad researching the missing artifacts, while Vetra was messaging Sid asking her to keep an ear open and eye out for anything that might help them. Cora stood in a corner replaying her fight with Ellis over and over trying to see where she'd gone wrong. Cora regarded the mercenary who was casually leant against the opposite wall of the shuttlecraft. Their eyes periodically scanned the shuttle, checking for threats and checking in on their friends. Cora's thoughts led her back to the strange Asari at the bar, questions began to fill her head, could the Asari beat Ellis? How exactly could she melt? What did a mojito taste like? Vetra tapped her on the shoulder "We're here, let's not keep Kandros waiting."

The four hunched around the desk as Kandros filled them in on what had been happening. "As you know, we didn't determine the identity of the person buying the artifacts, but thanks to the arrests on Elaaden, we've got some promising leads. We'd like you to stake out this drop off point on Kadara. I suspect this collector's main courier is using this area, I'd like you to apprehend anyone you see in the area and bring them in for questioning. As of now you're deputised as militia police. I've assigned you a shuttle, it's in hanger six. One of you can fly right?"

Peebee spent the journey to Kadara sulking at the back of the shuttle that she was perfectly capable of flying. For some reason she couldn't quite fathom, Vetra had insisted that Ellis fly them to Kadara. It was like Ryder and the Nomad all over again. They touched down behind some wrecked cargo containers that would serve as cover for the craft. As this was a steak out none of them could be seen in Initiative armour as it would blow their cover. Peebee, Cora and Vetra wore khaki maverick armour while Ellis opted for their well worn Hyperguardian armour. Cora and Vetra swept the area while Ellis and Peebee set up camp.

Back on Elaaden, the remaining crew were feasting on a take away. Ryder, Suvi, Gil and Lexi were eating and Asari Asian fusion food, Drack and Jaal were savouring a traditional Krogan stew with dumplings while Kallo grazed on Angaran kelp platter. Prospero didn't eat, but sat next to Kallo and took part in the conversations between the crew. Rabbit slept on peacefully on Suvi's feet, it had been ages since he'd had a really good walk. Gil was telling the crew about his new shuttlecraft project that he'd be working on while he was on Eos. "So basically they'll be split into different classes. The rescue model, which is a bit like an ambulance with features from old rescue helicopters and fire engines from back on Earth. The reconnaissance model is a bit like a mobile investigation unit, I'll be working with Kandros to fine tune that one. I haven't come up with a name for the final model yet. It's more of a recreational craft, good for going sandboarding on Elaaden or surfing on Meridian. It won't be as fast as the other two models, but plenty of space so they can be customized to suit the needs of the owner."

Suvi imagined her own camping craft with a built in mini lab. She daydreamed about setting down on some remote planet, far from anyone and just having some quality time with Sara and Rabbit. She was brought back to reality by Gil tapping her shoulder "Elaaden to Suvi, we're taking bets of who causes the most havoc on Vetra's team."

The science officer began to weigh up the options "Well, Cora will keep Vetra in check and Ellis is good at reigning in Peebee. So my money's on Ellis and Cora. I'm pretty sure that the Lieutenant is spoiling for a chance to win back her pride."

Cora felt restless as she waited for the courier to arrive. She approached Ellis "I've been thinking about our fight on Elaaden. I want a rematch, this time, no holds barred and no holding back."

"Why don't you ask Drack to headbutt you while you're at it?" Chuckled the mercenary.

"Oh fuck!" groaned Vetra knowing fully that the exchange wouldn't end well.

"Shh!" hissed Peebee "You're ruining my fun. I wanna see Cora get her ass handed to her."

"Cora? Really? Twenty credits says Ellis is the one whose ass gets handed to them." Smirked Vetra.

Peebee shook Vetra's hand in agreement as Cora slipped into a classical Asari fighting stance. It was comfortable and familiar, she hoped that it would give her an edge against the merc. "Cora, I don't want to do this."

"What's the matter, scared I'll beat you this time? Look, we're all girls togea-" Cora trailed off, the eye roll from Ellis was practically audible.

Ellis adopted a fighting stance that she didn't recognise "Fine! Non binary biotic badassery coming right at you."

Cora threw a punch. Ellis maneuvered around it, wrapping their arm around Cora's throat choking her. Cora tried to strike out at the mercenary with her elbows as the darkness closed in on her. She thought about the olive being drowned by the martini as the nothingness overwhelmed her. Ellis lowered the limp commando to the ground.

"Damn!" sighed Vetra pinging twenty credits to Peebee.

Ryder and Suvi waved off the last of their guests. Drack had left early as he'd promised to read his great grandchildren the story of _The very hungry Thresher Maw_ , which was considered a classic bedtime story among the Krogan. Grandpa Drack make amazing crunching noises as the hungry thresher maw ate one Rachni, two Turians, three Drell, four Asari and five Salarians. Prospero, Gil, Jaal and Kallo were heading back to the Tempest, while Lexi was staying at Ellis' apartment. Suvi took Rabbit to stretch his legs for one last time. She returned to find Ryder checking over her datapad, seeing if there was any news from Vetra's squad. Deep down, Ryder knew that they'd be fine, but it seemed remiss not to at least check in to see if they were okay. Suvi settled Rabbit in his basket and snuggled him down for the night. He was worn out from all the walking and the excitement. Next up on Suvi's list of creatures to put to bed was her wife. She placed a kiss on the top of Sara's head "Come on love, you can check in on them in the morning."

Sara yawned and accepted Suvi's outstretched hand and headed off to bed. The Pathfinder slept fitfully, regularly waking and checking her datapad for news.

When Cora regained consciousness she was surprised to see that it was Ellis that was tending to her. "We probably could've handled that better" grumbled the merc.

Cora sighed "I just wanted to beat you. With my training I should be able to."

Ellis snorted "You spent far too long reading books and following other people's lead. It's high time you found your own way of doing things. How to fight, how to live and how to let people in. You limit yourself when you define things in two dimensional terms. Life isn't black and white, people don't always fit in column a or column b and fight isn't just dogmatically reciting katas."

The mercenary stopped, aware that everyone was looking at them with a shocked expression "I'm bonded to the ship's doctor and psychiatrist something was going to rub off on me. Look I'm the worst person to get advice from when it comes to life and relationships, I'm still trying to figure that stuff out for myself. But I can help you with the fighting if you let me. Just think about it yeah?"

"If you to are done with your deep and meaningful, we've got a courier to catch." Said Peebee between mouthfuls of rations.

Ellis helped Cora to her feet, initiating a truce between the two. Vetra watched the drop off point through the scope of her sniper rifle. She tracked movement coming in from the right. One lone Drell armed to the teeth. "Okay, we're up. Let's do this like we planned people."

Her plan was a solid one. Vetra would stay hidden with her crosshair trained on the courier, she'd loaded the sniper rifle with tranquilizer darts so it would be easy to take him alive if he put up resistance. Ellis would approach him and ask him to come quietly, if that failed, they'd use their biotics to detain him. Peebee would stay close to Ellis, but remain hidden only revealing herself if Ellis needed help. Slowly the mercenary moved towards the target "You're under arrest. You have the right to-"

The courier span around and tried to open fire only for his gun to be swiped out of his hand by a biotic surge. "Remain silent. Anything you say can and will-"

He charged at them fists flying only to be lifted up into the air, floundering against the absence of gravity. "Be used against you in a court of law."

He roared obscenities while he kicked and punched at the air. Vetra sent a message to the local militia that they'd apprehended the courier. Soon a small craft touched down nearby and two officers came to collect the now exhausted courier. Vetra felt a swell of pride as he was led away, she messaged Ryder to let her know that her first mission as a squad leader was a success. Though she omitted the part about Cora getting choked out by Ellis. "Okay team, good work. Let's go to Tartarus, I'm buying!"

Ryder woke up as the datapad flashed and vibrated. She read the message, smiled and sunk into a deep sleep.

The walls Tartarus vibrated with the bass of the cheesy dance music. It made Vetra and Peebee tap their feet in time. Ellis tapped away at their omnitool writing up feedback for Ryder on Vetra's performance. There was a time when the merc would have enjoyed the sight of Asari dancers plying their trade. On the occasions where the Company let their assets blow off steam on Omega, 51.773 would find a bar and drink in the beer and the view, maybe having a quickie in a bathroom stall before heading back to the Company's facility. That person and name were now defunkt. They sipped cold fruit juice and continued to type. Peebee and Vetra hit the dance floor, dragging Cora with them. At first she resisted until Peebee teased her "Be the martini, not the olive."

That was all the incentive the commando needed. Cora had learnt to dance during her time as a huntress, her feet moved instinctively with the rhythm. The rest of her body moved effortlessly in time with the beat. A smile spread across her face as she worked her way around the dance floor to some of her favourite tunes only stopping when thirst got the better of her. She made her way back to the table where a sober Ellis smiled at her "You need to learn to fight the way you dance."

Cora shot the merc a curious glance "I don't see how dancing relates to fighting."

Ellis stepped closer wanting to be heard over the music "It's the fluidity of how you move. There's a saying _Empty your mind; be formless, shapeless like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend._ "

Cora thought back to how the Asari had commented on Ellis' fighting style being liquid and that's how they'd overpowered her "Hey Ellis, which Asari warrioress wrote that?"

Ellis shrugged "It wasn't an Asari, it was a human martial artist called Bruce Lee."

Vetra ushered a yawning Peebee over to the table "I think it's time to call it a night. We'll fly back to Elaaden first thing in the morning."

The four clambered into the shuttlecraft and bedded down for the night. Just before she fell asleep Cora rolled over to face Peebee "That thing you said earlier about being the martini not the olive, where'd you get that from?"

"My brother." Yawned Peebee in reply.

 **Shipwrecked and comatose**

The group's flight back to Elaaden had been uneventful until a large weaponised craft opened fire on them. Vetra wondered if her antics on Kadara had pissed someone off.

"Try losing him in the scourge!" Barked Cora.

Ellis did their best to fly close to the deadly cloud, they wished that Kallo were here. He'd know what to do. Another impact rocked the shuttle, lights and alarms informed the group that the port thrusters were damaged.

"Shit!" Growled Vetra "We can't keep taking hits like this. Find somewhere to set down."

It took two minutes but felt like a lifetime before Ellis located somewhere to land. The merc hugged the Scourge as best as they could on the approach to the unknown world. Their pursuer did the same, only to succumb to the cloud's treachery. Ellis prepared to entered the planet's atmosphere "Hold on!"

The craft juddered and shook as it breached the atmosphere. Then there was a brief calm. Vetra slapped Ellis on the shoulder "Good job."

There was an explosion from the underside of the craft. Peebee bellowed "Engines have blown! Brace for impact, we're going down!"

Peebee hit the automated distress button and hoped to the Goddess whoever answered the call found survivors. She found herself enveloped in a brilliant glow of biotic energy as Cora and Ellis generated a field around them to help them survive the impact of the crash. The hull groaned like a dying beast as that ground scratched and tore at it. Every jolt and shudder made Peebee regret eating such a late breakfast. She watched in terror as the ship buckled and broke around her until it came to a halt on a sand bank. The biotic shield dissipated and the four walked out of the wreckage into warm sunshine.

"What is this place?" Vetra asked no one in particular "It's beautiful."

Cora scanned the surroundings and took off her helmet. "The airs breathable. The climate is similar to Aya's just a little warmer. It's been hidden by the Scourge all this time. I don't think the Angara or the Kett knew about this place. In short we're shipwrecked in a tropical paradise."

Ellis removed their helmet, dropped to their knees and kissed the sandy ground beneath them. There were no signs of civilisation, just waves that rolled lazily over the white sands. Further inland were a host of trees covered in fruits that they'd see in the markets on Aya. Cora heaved a sigh of relief "At least we know there's food on tap."

Vetra looked around "Cora, Peebee. I need you to sweep the immediate area. We know there's food, but see if you can find us some water. I'll see what can be salvaged from the craft. Ellis, I want you to warp the wreckage into a makeshift shelter for us. Look alive people."

While most of the squad's weapons had survived, they'd lost all of their replacement ammo in the crash, along with most of the food apart for a load of dextro bars. The camping supplies were all but destroyed too. Vetra had managed to salvage the medkit before Ellis began twisting the metal carcass of the craft into the crude shack. Within an hour they had food, water and shelter. Vetra had made a perimeter fence with sand and debris to act as a line of defence if they weren't the only people stranded in paradise. Ellis hunched over the campfire cooking the cod like fish that they'd caught using biotics to pull them from the sea, while Peebee squeezed the juice from the mango like fruits. Vetra wondered if the Initiative might colonise the planet now that it had been discovered. Peebee had already dubbed it Civitavecchia after the Roman port on Earth, her reasoning being that it had been their safe harbour from both the Scourge and their attackers.

Cora rose early the following morning and headed off to explore. Vetra watched over the camp while Ellis slept off their night time sentry duty. The commando found a stretch of beach was practically identical to a place on Aya that she frequented with Jaal and Kallo. They'd stand on the outcrop of rock and take turns to dive into the warm depths beneath them. Cora was painfully aware that she stank of sweat. Mindlessly, she removed her rancid armour and dived head first into the water. She felt a thud as her head hit the ground, the water wasn't as deep as it was on Aya. Peebee had been walking along the shore looking for driftwood when she heard the loud splash of Cora hitting the water. When the commando had failed to surface, the maiden had ran into the surf with her heart sinking. Cora felt arms pulling her up to the surface. "Cora! Cora are you okay?" Cried Peebee.

Th Asari did her best to keep her still against the push and pull of the waves. Cora tried to move, but her body wouldn't respond the way she wanted it to. It wasn't that anything hurt, on the contrary there was an absence of sensation. "Peebee." Cora couldn't hide the rising panic in her voice "I can't feel my legs!"

Peebee did the only thing she could think of, her eyes grew dark as she reached out with her mind searching for Ellis.

It took awhile for the automated distress signal to work it's way through the interference of the Scourge. Slowly it permeated into space, pinging off of satellites working its way back to the Initiative and finally to Sara Ryder. She bit back the hurt and guilt as she asked SAM to summon everyone to the Tempest.

Lexi was already on the ship unpacking her belongings into what had once been Liam's room. The couch had been destroyed and a double bed took its place along with a bookcase and a small desk that was already littered with datapads.

Ryder paced the bridge "I received a message to say that the shuttlecraft carrying Vetra and her squad came under attack and went down. Telemetry suggests that they crash landed on a previously undetected planet near the Scourge. We need to bring them home."

"Ryder, do we know if they're okay? If they're alive?" Gil didn't bother to hide the fear in his voice.

Ryder frowned "We won't know anything until we get there."

Lexi stormed off to the med bay stuck in an agonising limbo. Not knowing if Ellis was dead or alive, was unbearable. She took a deep breath and tried to exhale slowly in the vain hope it would help. She heard the doors of the med bay hiss open behind her "Now is not a good time."

"Which is exactly why I'm here." said Suvi softly.

The science officer had dealt with Ryder almost dying on several occasions. The most recent incident had resulted in Suvi setting off on a rescue mission to save her. The Scot had ended up putting a bullet in the Benefactor's head to do so. Lexi turned to face her, eyes wet with tears that longed to fall "How do you do it?"

"Prayer. Locking myself in the toilet and crying my eyes out. The last time I just got really angry. We'd gone through so much to get to that point and then that bitch tried to snatch it away from us. I'm not you Lexi, so I don't know how you're feeling. But I know that Ellis means a lot to you. I'll be on the bridge if you need me."

Lexi shifted through plethora of emotions that were bombarding her looking for something useful, something she could work with. She pushed aside the sorrow, hurt and heartache she'd deal with them in due course. Then she found it, a feeling she hadn't embraced since her parents had been killed; rage. It burned bright and brilliant within her fuelled by hurts old and new. She let it ignite her as she set to work preparing the med bay for whatever might come her way.

Ellis clutched their head in agony and growled with the pain. Sharp, shrieking noises bounced around in their head slowly taking form as a single word being screamed over and over; Help! Feelings began to filter through, the warmth of the ocean coupled with rising terror. " _Calm down Peebee. I'm here what's wrong!"_

Words cut in and out as Peebee tried to reign her feelings in " _Cora… hurt… help!"_

Ellis grabbed the medkit and ran towards the beach using Peebee's biotic energy like a homing beacon. Peebee was still in the water supporting Cora, afraid to move and uncertain of what to do. Ellis waded out towards the pair, rummaging through the kit grabbing a hold of what they needed; a canister of orthoform.

Orthofoam had been designed as an idiotproof fracture management system. It was sprayed on to what needed to be immobilized and the foam set into a rigid splint. Ellis used their biotics to gently lift Cora out of the water while trying to keep her steady "Just keep still, this will help."

They sprayed from the back of her head down to her feet. Ellis had no idea where the fracture was, or if there even was one, but whatever damage had been done, total immobilization would do Cora no harm. Within seconds, the foam had set creating a solid plinth. Ellis caught a hold of her and carried her back to camp using their biotics to offset the deadweight of the broken commando. Cora wanted to scream, to cry but above all, she wanted to feel the lower half of her body. The unresponsive nothingness terrified her, she was vulnerable and helpless with no idea when or if a rescue was coming Silent, fearful tears spilt from her eyes as Ellis worked on her. Sensing the turmoil the merc said softly "Hang in there. They're coming for us."

Vetra hugged a cold and sodden Peebee. "I think she's really hurt Vee. I didn't know what to do so…"

Vetra griped her shoulders firmly "So you did the right thing and called for help."

The two women stood and watched as Ellis administered drugs to combat the swelling in the spinal cord and lower Cora's body temperature to try and salvage as much function as they could. Lastly the merc gave her a light sedative to spare her the anguish of what was happening to her "At ease soldier." muttered Ellis as Cora drifted off.

On the bridge Kallo flew as fast as he could knowing full well that the lives of his friends could depend on it. Beside him Suvi silently prayed for the safe return of her friends. She prayed for Sid and Lexi who were both scared and hurting. She prayed for Ryder who was beating herself up for sending them on the mission in the first place. She prayed for Drack too. The old man was consumed with guilt that he kept on living while so many others had died. It didn't help that his scouts had sent him reports that there was still Roekaar activity in the area where the craft had gone down. He and Ryder sat in silence in the galley while Rabbit milled around their legs. Drack placed a hand on Ryder's shoulder and squeezed. Drack wanted to tell her that none of this was her fault, that there was no way she could have known this would happen. She wouldn't have believed him, but found the weight of his hand a grounding and comforting presence.

Cora was lost in a serene and painless haze. She had no idea that the rest of the squad were scrambling into action to fight off a potential enemy. Vetra eyed the Anagaran craft entering the atmosphere with suspicion. "Ellis get Cora into the shack and grab your guns. You too Peebee. They could be friendly, but I'm not taking any chances."

They took up defensive positions around the shack to protect their wounded friend. The craft landed whipping up the sand and cloaking the identity of its occupants. Ellis instinctively created a shield around them, moments later bullets started to ping off of it. As the sand settled they began to return fire.

"Shit! I'm out!" said Vetra as the last shell of ammo ejected from her rifle.

There were three more pistol shots before Peebee added "Me too! There's too many of them!"

Peebee used her biotics to try and take out a few, but the group were outnumbered and outgunned. She glanced at Ellis whose shield was deflecting all of the weapons fire, but for how much longer? Peebee often though that using biotics was a bit like holding your breath, you had breathe in at some point or risk passing out. Ellis's nose was already bleeding from the sustained effort. The Asari felt the merc's mind sync with hers " _On my count get Vetra into the shack. Get low to the ground and stay there. If this goes tits up, make sure Lex is okay. Three, two, one, GO!"_

Once the two were safely in the shack, Ellis prepared to drop their shield and try and fight off the hoard of Roekaar, when a voice crept into their head " _Don't you dare!"_

Ellis continued to sustain the shield and grinned, " _Hello Lex."_

A hail of weapons fire descended on the Roekaar as Drack's architect Kalros and Ryder's Remnant bot Zap came into view. Ryder, Jaal, Drack and Prospero picked off those that tried to escape. Even Lexi and Suvi where there, pistols drawn taking shots. The Roekaar didn't stand a chance. As the final fanatic fell, Lexi sprinted forward with a trauma kit in hand. Ellis gestured towards the shack "She's in there, we did the best we could, but she needs a doctor not a mercenary and an archaeologist."

Lexi's scan showed a spinal fracture that was compressing the nerve "Get her onto the Tempest, I need to operate now."

There was a reason that Doctor Lexi T'Perro had been on board the human ark, what she didn't know about mending broken humans wasn't worth knowing. She dissolved the area of orthofoam that blocked her access and administered an injection of nanobots. Lexi used the bots to create an internal brace that off loaded the fracture allowing the nerve to function. She gave Cora a shot to nullify the effect of the sedative. "Hello Cora, how are you feeling?"

Cora yawned "I, my uh Ow! What was that?"

Lexi smiled reassuringly "That was me sticking a pin in your foot. You're not out of the woods by a long shot, but at least there's hope."

 **Mending**

As the Tempest touched down on Meridian, Harry Carlyle and a surgical team were waiting to receive Cora. The plan was to replace the nanobot support structure with something more durable while the fracture healed. Ryder and Suvi waited outside the operating theatre while the others began picking up the pieces as best they could.

Peebee was sat in the galley having devoured an entire batch of pancakes that Drack had made especially for her. Fresh fish and mango juice were all well and good, but nothing in Andromeda had yet to beat the old Krogan's pancakes slathered in syrup. The hit of the sugar made her even more bouncy than usual, she decided she needed to walk it off "Hello small, dark and handsome. Wanna go for a walk?"

Rabbit's ears pricked up and his little legs fell in step with Peebee's as they headed out into Meridian's evening sunshine. Peebee talked nineteen to the dozen as the pair wandered along the beach "I did everything I could Rabbit. I stopped her from drowning. I kept her still. I got Ellis. I did my best. But Rabbit, what if my best isn't enough? What if Harry can't fix her?"

Rabbit whimpered his back and legs hurt and he was tired from walking. Peebee carefully scooped him up. "You too huh? Come on let's get you to your humans."

Lexi stormed into the shower room where Ellis was trying to scrub away the sand, salt and sweat. "Don't you dare scare me like that again!"

Rogue drops of water ricocheted off of Ellis landing on Lexi's uniform. The merc let her rage knowing that she needed this. "Do you have any idea what I've been going through? I thought I'd lost you!"

Ellis wiped away the crusted blood from their nose causing crimson droplets to fall to the floor. Lexi's anger dissipated as she instinctively reached out "I should take a look at that."

The merc sighed "I don't need a doctor Lex. I need my girlfriend to give me a hug and tell me everything's gonna be okay."

"I can't. That would be a lie." then seeing the fear in Ellis's features she clarified "Ryder has guilt issues to work through and Cora has a long journey to recovery ahead of her. Things are going to take time to get back to normal, okay is a long ways off. But, I can hold you and tell you I love you, but so help me Goddess if you ever pull a stunt like that again I swear…"

The doctor's words trailed off as she wrapped her arms around them, not caring that she was getting soaked. Tears of relief trickled down Lexi's cheeks falling upon her lips. It made the kiss she gave Ellis taste salty. The mercenary buried their head into Lexi's shoulder, realising a few tears of their own as exhaustion finally got the better of them. Lexi handed them a towel "Come on, let's get you to bed."

Peebee messaged Suvi to meet her outside of the hospital. "So, any news?" Asked the Asari nervously.

Suvi stroked the smooth soft fur of Rabbit's coat "Nothing yet. Harry said the surgery would take a couple of hours tough, I think we're in for a long night. Do you think you could do me a favour?"

Peebee nodded. "I need to get Rabbit checked out, he's clearly in pain from his back. Will you stay with Sara until I get him sorted out?"

The Asari handed over Rabbit and headed into the hospital. Ryder was pacing the corridor outside of the theatre "Suvi's taken Rabbit to the V-E-T-S."

Ryder nodded "Yeah. He's been having trouble with his back legs. Seems he's not the only one. Peebee, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I sent you on that mission. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed help and I'm sorry Cora got hurt."

"Nuh uh! You don't get to pull that shit! Vetra asked for a chance to prove herself, we tagged along for the ride. And, as I remember you guys showed up in the nick of time to save our asses. Cora's accident was just that, an accident. She made a mistake and now…" Peebee's voice failed her.

She looked at her feet as she tried to find her composure and words "Look, guilt isn't going to fix her. If you need someone to blame, start with the assholes that shot at our craft."

Inside Ryder's mind something rebooted. She pushed down the guilt that had clouded her judgment, she'd deal with it another time. Right now, she wanted to refocus. Someone had attacked her team, but who and why? Ryder messaged Hayjer asking him to scan the debris near the planet to ascertain who was behind the attack. There was the chance that it was simply the local Roekaar, but Ryder couldn't help but wonder if the attack was tied in with the squad's mission to retrieve stolen artefacts. She tapped away at her datapad requesting that information about this mysterious collector be sent to the Tempest. Whatever the outcome of Cora's surgery, the whole crew would need something to focus on and work towards.

Vetra had spent hours talking to Sid via the vid link. She promised that the two of them would have some down time on Kadara soon. Sid had proposed a girls night in with a selection of action vids and buckets of grexen. Vetra had to admit it sounded perfect. Ravenous, she flopped down on a chair in the galley as Drack handed her a bowl of Turian stew. The Krogan sat next to her "Have you heard? Ryder's trying to find out who shot at you guys out there, she wonders if this relic collector is behind it."

A faint smile crossed Vetra's features "If it was him that attacked us, it must mean we're getting close."

Rabbit was feeling better. A special brace system had been fitted to him that supported his back and his hind legs. Moving was much easier now that his legs no longer gave way. He yawned contentedly as Suvi settled him in his basket "You be a good boy while I go and check on Sara."

Cora Harper had come to Andromeda alone. No friends, no family, no complications. No loved ones to help her pick up the pieces of her shattered world. Cora's eyes drifted open as the anaesthetic was reversed "Welcome back Lieutenant Harper. How are you feeling?"

"Did it work? Can I walk?" Cora became aware of soreness where they'd operated. Then she felt the silicone component of her body brace against her skin. The brace incorporated both of her legs and the whole of her back "What is this?"

"It's an exoskeleton," Harry began "the back component provides support and protection while your fracture heals. The leg braces with help with mobility and stability as we rehabilitate your legs. The nerve damage will take a few months to heal. I expect you to make a good recovery Cora, but not a full one. You should regain full function but your speed, strength and dexterity won't be what they were. While you'll eventually be able to return to your duties, it won't be in such an active role. We'll get you on a course of physio and hydrotherapy to get you back up and running. Just understand that you've got to learn to walk first. I know it's a lot to take in, and I'm sure you'll have questions, but for now try and get some rest. With your permission, I'd like to let the Pathfinder know that the operation was successful and that the prognosis is good."

Cora nodded. She waited until she heard the doors close before she surrendered to the tears that desperately needed to flow. They were a bittersweet cocktail of pain, relief and grief. Exhausted she drifted off to sleep.

Harry was wiped out. After he'd talked to Ryder and sent her home for the night, he sat at his desk and began to type up his notes. A large mug of coffee was placed in front of him, he looked up and smiled "Thank you."

The woman patted his shoulder and made to leave "Don't over do it Harry. I worry about you."

For the first time in what had felt like an eternity the doctor had butterflies in his stomach. He took a large swing of coffee to combat the dryness of his mouth and continued to type. Try as he might, he could wipe the smile from his face or her from his thoughts.

Cora woke just before the physiotherapists came to see her. They started out with the basics, sitting up and transferring onto a chair which she quickly mastered. She was sat in her chair eating lunch when Ryder came to visit "It wasn't the Roekaar that attacked the shuttle. According to Hayjer's scans the ship was controlled via remote. That's way beyond the Roekaar's skill set and funding. Kandros thinks this is linked to the missing Angaran relics."

"If you go after these bastards Ryder, I want in." Cora tried to stand as she spoke, but her legs still weren't responsive enough. She slumped down into her chair seething.

Ryder tried to find something to say, but there were no words that covered this. There was no pep talk or witty one liner that could make any of this any better. How could she agree to taking Cora on a mission when she couldn't even stand up, let alone function as a soldier. Seeing Ryder was at a loss Cora snapped "Just leave!"

Ryder left the room feeling broken, yesterday's suppressed guilt began to overwhelm her. "Fuck!"

She kicked the wall in rage, angry with herself, the situation and life in general. "Ow! Shit that hurt."

Ryder bit back the tears and tried to hobble away, but the altercation between her and the wall hadn't gone unnoticed. Ellen Ryder wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder and frogmarched her to the nearest safe space she could find. "Sorry Harry, I need to borrow your office for a while."

Wordlessly he grabbed a few items from his desk and left. Ellen face her daughter "What's going on Sara?"

Once again Ryder was bereft of words, the only noise she could make was a howl as the tears she'd kept denying herself finally came to the fore. "It's okay Sara, I've got you. It'll be okay."

Sara blinked in disbelief "Will it? Because it seems like all I've done since I woke up here is fight and I'm done. Losing Dad, almost losing Scott. The Archon, the Quarian ark, the Company, that Benefactor bitch and now some art collector has a good go at killing four of my crew. My second is in pieces and then there's me. I've almost died four times. Four fucking times! I don't think I've got this in me any more. I'm tired Mom. I don't want this anymore! I just want to spend time with my wife, take our dog for a walk but every time that looks like a possibility something else goes wrong. I never asked to be the Pathfinder. That was Dad's thing, never mine. I want to walk away from this whole thing and be done with it. But I can't can I?"

"Not indefinitely, but for a while yes. In fact I'm ordering you to." said a voice.

The Ryder women turned to see Lexi stood in the doorway. "I've been expecting this for a while Ryder. You've been through hell since we got here. We'll get you the support that you need. You're allowed to feel like this. Four of your crew were attacked. It created a chain of events that lead to Cora getting badly injured. We all need a period of readjustment. Leave it with me and Harry."

Within a few hours the crew of the Tempest had been issued with a new mission, to sift through intel that the militia had gathered about the Collector and the attack on the shuttle. They had been requested to take a back seat while Hayjer took the lead. Ryder would support and advise from the wings giving her a much needed break. Everyone had their own task that would help with the investigation and eventual confrontation with the Collector.

Prospero and Gil worked on giving the Tempest a tune up. They wanted her on top form before they set off on a pay back mission. Sid and Vetra traced transmissions that might shed light on how the smuggling operation was being run. Peebee and Jaal worked together to catalogue the artefacts and look for any correlations. If the devil was in the detail, the pair would find it. Kallo and Suvi trawled through maps and charts looking for potential smuggling routes between planets that might have been missed by the militia. Drack kept everyone fed and watered while chipping in with everyone's projects. Ellis spent their time at the loadout station putting together a project with a little help from Harry and Lexi. For the most part the two doctors worked to heal the injured parties.

Lexi worked through Ryder's guilt and anger, while helping her recover from the physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that had final overcome her.

Harry had the unenviable task of trying to fix Cora, something he knew he couldn't do alone. It would take a whole host of people to do that. The physiotherapists had worked wonders, she could now stand up and was beginning to take her first tentative steps. She could only walk using rails, without them she panicked and fell to the ground, both she and her body were still unsure of themselves. Currently it was spite, bloody mindedness and a thirst for revenge that made the Lieutenant put one foot in front of the other as she gripped the bars either side of her tightly.

Those feelings would only get her so far. She need to find more healthy reasons if she ever hoped to make a more holistic recovery. The first was curiosity. As she made her way to the end of end of the rails a voice called out "You didn't let that merc beat you again?"

It was the Asari she'd met at the bar on Elaaden. Cora tried to explain about the accident but the Asari's head shook "I can't hear you. Come closer."

Unthinking, Cora moved closer to the Asari "That's better, sorry, you were saying?"

Cora told the Asari the whole sorry story of her diving accident "So now I'm learning to walk again."

The Asari gave her a strange look "You seem to be doing just fine to me. You walked all the way over here after all."

Cora realised that she let go of the bars and walked a good ten meters to get to where the Asari had been stood. The Asari continued "So now that you're up to walking, how about you and I head to the bar? I believe you owe me a mojito and I'm pretty sure you could use one too." The Asari offered her an arm "Shall we?"

Cora took a hold and the pair slowly navigated their way to the nearest bar for a well earned drink. Cora shifted awkwardly on the barstool and regarded the stranger that was her drinking partner "So tell me about yourself?"

The Asari swallowed a mouthful of mojito "And what is it that you'd like to know?"

"Your name?" Enquired Cora.

"Mr Ash B'Sayle at your service." He grinned

 **Restoration projects**

"Sorry what now?" Cora couldn't decide what had flummoxed her more that the that she was talking to another B'Sayle or that the Asari identified as male.

"Relax, I'm nowhere near as annoying as my little sister, or my eldest one for that matter." Ash shuddered at the memory of his big sister and her stony faced severity.

"There's more of you?" Cora frowned unable to decide if this was a good or bad thing.

"Several, but only two of us came to Andromeda. Peebee came here chasing adventure, the next big discovery and the affections of a rather unscrupulous bitch. My reason are, well it's a tale for another time. Drink up, I'd better get you back to the medics before they send out a search party." He chuckled.

Cora started walking back to the medical unit lightly hanging on to Ash's arm. They traded stories about life with Peebee as they went. Cora animatedly described how the maiden had leapt on top of Ryder when she first met the Pathfinder. She let go of his arm to do so and kept walking. Step by step, Cora made her way back to her room independently. Harry watched her with delight from his office and started tapping away on his omnitool _Ellis, we're ready to proceed with your project._

A few days later, Ryder sat in the med bay with Lexi having her counselling session. "I'm going to give you a project Ryder. I want you to do something that is both for you and the crew. Nothing dangerous or too strenuous. Harry is hoping he'll soon be able to transfer Cora back to the Tempest to continue her recovery, it would be good if she can participate in whatever you choose to do. It needs to be something that allows the crew to have some fun and reconnect."

Ryder was quiet as she thought about what she could do for her crew. Christmas was fast approaching perhaps she could do something festive. Ryder recalled childhood Christmases with Scott and her parents. Ellen Ryder went through great lengths to make the build up to the big day as magical as possible. A huge smile filled the Pathfinder's face "I've got an idea, but I want to talk it through with Mom first. Also I'm going to need some help from Suvi to make it work."

Lexi nodded, pleased that Ryder was pacing herself and openly admitting that she needed help "Of course, and I'm here to if you need me."

Ellis's project was finally completed, there was just the small matter of testing it out. Nervously they went to visit Cora. The commando was busy doing physio, now that she'd regained her confidence, she was making excellent progress. Harry was delighted by how well she was doing, so it seemed like the right time to hand over the project to its intended owner. Ellis left the item on her bed with a note that simply said _I hope this helps_.

Cora returned feeling tired but triumphant from the hydrotherapy pool. She opened the package from Ellis and gasped. It was heavily modified, custom fit AI spearpoint armour with an integrated motorised exoskeleton. Harry stuck his head around the door "I see Ellis has finished the prototype. Do you want to try it on?"

Cora nodded and Harry helped her put the armour on. It was bulkier and a little heavier than what she was used to, but it gave her the support and protection that she needed. As she caught her reflection in the mirror, Cora stood a little taller, a little prouder. She was Lieutenant Cora Harper a commando, a huntress, a soldier. What was it Ash had said? _If you can handle my sister, then you can handle this._ Cora didn't handle Peebee so much as endure her, but Ash did make a valid point. If she could endure the eternal annoyance that was Pelessaria B'Sayle, then she could endure this injury too. She turned to face Harry "Care to go for a walk?"

Harry smiled, pleased that the new armour was having the desired effect "Lead the way Lieutenant."

The two walked along the nearby beach, Cora's new armour meant that the uneven and unstable terrain was no longer inaccessible to her. As the sand shifted beneath her feet the armour adapted to it. Her muscles ached a little, but the mild discomfort reminded she could feel. She would happily take that sensation over the nothingness that she had experienced after her accident. Harry observed how she coped with the new armour and made mental notes about her progress. Things were looking good "Okay Cora, that's enough for today. Remember you still need to pace yourself. Let's head on back."

The servos kicked in as Cora turned around and made her way back up the beach with Harry limping behind. His arthritis was beginning to take its toll and come the new year he'd been listed to have his right hip replaced. He'd drafted in Lexi to do the surgery, after all, she was one of the best surgeons in Andromeda. Well when it came to humans anyway, the Drell were Lexi's weak point, just as Vorcha anatomy was Harry's.

Once Cora was back in her room resting, Harry headed into his office to try and type up some notes. The pain dulled his focus, so he limped off to get some analgesia. He didn't make it to the door of his office before the woman that gave him butterflies walked in, armed with a hypodermic in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. "You Harry need to take better care of yourself. You lecture your patients on pacing and self care, but you need to start applying that to you."

He nodded, staring at his feet. It gave the appearance that he was a naughty schoolboy being told off. In reality he was trying to hide that fact he was blushing "Yes ma'am."

With his pain reduceced, his caffeine levels restored and his skin back to its usual colour, Harry began to type up his report on Cora. With the new armour it was now feasible for Cora to return to the Tempest and it would be possible for her to go home for Christmas. He thought it would do her good to be in a familiar environment with people who knew her and cared about her. Lexi would be able to provide counseling and monitor the progress of her healing fracture. Provided that the rest of the medical team signed off on it, Cora would be discharged at the end of the week.

Cora had mixed feelings about being back on the Tempest. She'd been allocated Ellis's bed on the bridge as the bunks weren't particularly suitable with her injury and she needed space to get in and out of her modified armour. It also gave her somewhere private to retreat to when she needed it. The merc would be staying in Lexi's quarters until further notice.

Cora was used to being an active part of the team, but her current role would be an advisory one. In addition she would be liaising with Evfra to discuss training tactics for the new Andromedan Alliance Military that was being formed. It would incorporate all of the Milky Way species that had come to Andromeda, along with the Angara. While the Archon had been killed by Ryder, and the Primus had been destroyed by the Reaper, there was still the chance that the Kett might return and they wanted to be ready for them if they did. The Geth and Quarians were developing new warships that would patrol the Andromedan space packed with enough firepower to put a dent in any Reaper that dared to show its face in the galaxy. It was a fantastic opportunity, but Cora wasn't entirely sure it would suit her. Time would tell.

Still, now that she was back on the Tempest there were a few burning questions that she wanted to ask. Cora wanted to get a better understanding of Mr Ash B'Sayle. The two were fast becoming friends, but try as she might she couldn't quite get her head around the fact Ash was _male_ Asari. She didn't feel able to ask him what that meant or entailed, and it was probably none of her business, but she still desperately wanted to know. She headed in the direction of Lexi's new quarters to pick her brain.

"I've got some questions." Cora paused seeing Ellis napping on the bed "Um is Ellis okay?"

"They're fine, just catching up on some sleep. They put a lot of time into making your armour. That's not why you're here though is it?" replied Lexi with a knowing smile.

"No, but I owe Ellis a beer or ten for making it for me." the commando shifted awkwardly "I was wondering if I could pick your brain about Asari? I know that you're a monogendered race…"

Lexi rolled her eyes, this was going to be one of those conversations that required a stiff drink before, during and after "Let's discuss this in the med bay over a glass or two, shall we?"

Ellen was glad to see her daughter finally smiling again "To what do I owe the pleasure Sara?"

Ryder told Ellen about her latest counselling session and how she'd been given a project to help cheer up the crew, maybe give them some activities to help them move forward after everything that had happened. They talked about the first time that Alec had been posted away for the whole of December. Five year old Scott and Sara had been devastated, but Ellen had found a way to make the countdown to Christmas special for them. It didn't alter the fact that their father wasn't there, but it helped distract them and gave them something to look forward to. It had become a family tradition until Ellen's supposed death. "So Mom, do I have your blessing to carry it on?"

Ellen chuckled and hugged her daughter "Of course darling. I think it's a wonderful idea. I hope you and Suvi have as much fun with it as I did. You know where to come if you need any inspiration."

Having secured Ellen's blessing, Ryder met with Suvi and the pair made their way to the secure storage unit on the Hyperion. Sara had only told her there was something locked away in there that would help cheer up the crew, Suvi was desperate to know what it was "So, what's this top secret plan of yours then?"

Ryder punched her password into her omnitool tool and a door popped open to reveal a small box. She lifted it out and opened the lid, revealing its contents to her wife.

"Oh my goodness Sara! It's adorable, you're adorable!" Suvi planted a kiss on her Ryder's cheek.

"I know." Grinned Sara "I couldn't have done this before, it wouldn't have felt right with what was going on with Mom. But she's back now and it feels like it's a good time to do this. I think it's what we all need. Look Suvi, I can't do this on my own. I'm going to need your help, you up to this? We've got two weeks to prepare."

Suvi smiled "Well then, we'd better get started." she tapped away on her omnitool making notes "First order of business is sourcing a Christmas tree."


End file.
